How to use Speech Recognition

Applies to Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1

Watch a video about how to use Speech Recognition to get around your PC. (To view captions in your language, tap or click
the Closed captioning button .)

Watch a video about how to use dictation with Speech Recognition. (To view captions in your language, tap or click
the Closed captioning button .)

Windows Speech Recognition makes using a keyboard and mouse optional. You can control your PC with your voice and dictate text instead.

Note

Speech Recognition is only available for the following languages:
English (United States and United Kingdom), French, German, Japanese, Mandarin (Chinese Simplified and Chinese Traditional), and Spanish.

There are a few steps you need to take before you can start using Speech Recognition. First, you’ll need to set up a microphone. Then, you can train your PC to recognize your voice.

To set up a microphone

Before you set up Speech Recognition, make sure you've plugged the microphone into your PC so the following steps work.

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.(If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Search.)

You can also open Search with a keyboard by pressing Windows logo key +Q.

Enter Set up a microphone in the search box, and then tap or click Set up a microphone.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

Note

If possible, use a headset microphone; it's less likely to pick up background noise.

To train your PC to recognize your speech

Speech Recognition uses a special voice profile to recognize your voice and spoken commands. The more you use Speech Recognition, the more detailed your voice profile becomes—and that should improve your PC's ability to understand you.

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.(If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Search.)

You can also open Search with a keyboard by pressing Windows logo key +Q.

Enter Speech Recognition in the search box, and then tap or click Speech Recognition.

You can use your voice for many tasks, such as filling out online forms or typing letters. When you speak into the microphone, Speech Recognition transforms your voice into text on the screen.

To dictate text using Speech Recognition

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.(If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Search.)

You can also open Search with a keyboard by pressing Windows logo key +Q.

Enter speech recognition in the search box, and then tap or click Windows Speech Recognition.

Say "start listening," or tap or click the microphone button to start the listening mode.

Open the app you want to use, or select the text box you want to dictate text into.

Say the text you want to dictate.

To correct mistakes

You can correct mistakes in three different ways:

To correct the last thing you said, say "correct that."

To correct a single word, say "correct" followed by the word that you want to correct. If the word appears more than once, all instances will be highlighted, and you can choose the one you want to correct.

In the Alternates panel dialog box, say the number next to the item you want, and then say "OK."

To add or change words in the Speech Dictionary

Using the Speech Dictionary, you can add your own words, stop a specific word from being dictated, or correct or delete a word in the dictionary.

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.(If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Search.)

You can also open Search with a keyboard by pressing Windows logo key +Q.

Enter speech recognition in the search box, and then tap or click Windows Speech Recognition.

Say "start listening," or tap or click the microphone button to start the listening mode.

Say "open Speech Dictionary" and do any of the following:

To add a word to the dictionary, say "Add a new word," and then follow the instructions.

To prevent a specific word from being dictated, say "Prevent a word from being dictated," and then follow the instructions.

You can use simple, short commands to control your PC. The following table shows some of the most commonly used Speech Recognition commands. Words in bold indicate that you can replace the example word or phrase with similar words and get useful results.

You can also keyboard shortcuts as verbal commands to control your PC. To view all of the available shortcuts, see Keyboard shortcuts.

Note

Any time you need to find out what commands to use, say "what can I say?"

To do this

Say this

To do this

Open the Start screen

Say this

Start

To do this

Open the charms bar

Say this

Press Windows C

To do this

Open the Search charm

Say this

Press Windows Q

To do this

Show all apps

Say this

Apps

To do this

Start working with an app

Say this

Right-click; Press Windows Z

To do this

Use an app

Say this

Say what you want to do. For example, change to Celsius in the Weather app.